This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Passive entry/passive start (PEPS) systems allow a vehicle to locate a key associated with the vehicle, such as a wireless key fob carried by a user of the vehicle. Traditionally, PEPS systems allow anyone in possession of a key fob that has been previously paired with a vehicle's central PEPS electronic control unit (ECU) to access the vehicle by simply grabbing the door handle and to start the vehicle with a push of a button. In response to a button push, the central PEPS ECU authenticates the key fob to determine if the key fob is authorized to access the vehicle and uses the signal strength indicated by a plurality of vehicle antennas to estimate the location of the key fob. If the key fob can be authenticated and is located within an authorizing zone, the vehicle's function is made available to the user, i.e. the vehicle doors are unlocked and/or the vehicle is started.
Traditional PEPS systems, however, can consume a large amount of power and can drain a vehicle battery while scanning for and communicating with the key fob to perform localization and authentication of the key fob.